Buddhist teachers must have personal qualities in order to be able to help others. First, they must be learned, meaning they must have received teaching, study and reflect. They must also be realized, meaning that this understanding mustn’t be only intellectual: they must have taken the teaching into experience. They must be living support for the Dharma.

Secondly they must know all the different teaching in order to give each student what is more appropriate. They must keep the rules of conduct according to the different levels of vows; they must have a good heart, wishing to help others without expecting any reward.

Finally they must be able to give teaching, to compose texts and to answer questions. There are not so many of such teachers in the world, but fortunately some accepts to travel and teach.

The center

Our Buddhist center has been founded with the approval of the following teachers and we hope to be able to invite them to teach in South Africa in the future.

Dzogchen Lingla Tulku Rinpoche

Lingla Kuchen Rinpoche was born in 1963 in the village of Dzogchen. He is the reincarnation of the fourth Lingla Rinpoche, Thubten Trinle Gyatso. He is one of the main lamas of the Dzogchen Monastery in Eastern Tibet, being one of the four regents of the Monastery. At the age of sixteen, he entered the Dzogchen Monastery where he received numerous teachings, transmissions and empowerments from number of lamas. At the age of nineteen, he became Oumdze, in the tibetan tradition, (the Oumdze is the Master of the mantrayana rituals). At the age of 25, he began his studies at the Monastic University of Shri Singha while already assuming his responsibilities as a Great Lama. He received numerous empowerment and transmissions from Tulku Kalzang Rinpoche, Doukpa Thoubten Nyima Rinpoche, Khenpo Choë Kyap, Khenpo Phentsé. He received for instance the whole Lonchen Dzödun, the Longchen Nyingtik, etc.

Each year, since 2004, he leads the Great Ceremonies of the Monastery during the twelfth month of the Tibetan calendar.

In 2003 he builds a temple containing a huge Buddha statue ‘Djo-Wo’ on the site of his past life residence.

From 2003 to 2006, he has been the director of the Dzogchen Monastery taking responsibility for the spiritual and material matters. During this time, Rinpoche travelled to the United States of America, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong to teach the Dharma.

Rinpoche is endowed with a great compassion; he always looks after his student and teaches them how to follow the Buddha’s path. His compassion is expressed through the education that he bestow to his students by teaching them the most important principles to attain Buddhahood; these are study, reflect and meditation.

Lama Orgyen Chokyi Dorje

Lama Orgyen Chokyi was born in 1968; he is a student of Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche and Tulku Kalzang Rinpoche. At the age of 8, he received his first teachings from Dudjom Rinpoche and Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche. Between the age of 8 and 12 year, he received empowerments and transmissions from the main teachers of the Kagyu lineage such as His Holiness the 16TH Karmapa, HE Shamar Rinpoche, HE Situ Rinpoche, HE Gyaltsap Rinpoche, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, Khenpo Tultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche and Kalou Rinpoche.

He also received the explanations about the Dudjom Tersar Ngon Drö from Sogyal Rinpoche.

From the age of 13, he travelled each year for a period of two months to the Monastery of Kanying Shedrup Ling in Nepal. Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche, Tulku Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, Chokling Rinpoche and Mayum Kunzang Detchen Rinpoche kindly oversaw his Buddhist education. He studied the rituals, the dances (cham), the meditation and the Tibetan language. During those years, he received the vow of Genyen from Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche and also received the Lama robes from him. Meanwhile, he studied the Dakpo Thargyen and the Domsum, among other texts.

Further to this, he received a series of transmissions from the lineage of Dzogchen Monastery. He studied the Umagyuen with Khenpo Tcheuga. He studied the Gyalse Laklen Sodün, the Bodhicitaryavattara and the Kunzang Lamé Shalung (The word of my Perfect Teacher) with Dzogchen Ranyak Patrul Rinpoche. Lingla Kuchen Rinpoche gave him the transmissions of the Longchen Dzödun. He received the complete transmission of the Longchen Nyintik from Tulku Kalzang Rinpoche and received the transmission of the Karling Shitro from Tulku Pegya. He also received transmissions from Khenpo Pentsé and the Kalachakra from Dzogchen Rinpoche.

At the age of 26, he builds a temple in Belgium, called Nge Dön Phuntsok Ling. He is currently busy with the construction of a Monastery in Narathan (Nepal). This Monastery is intended to be a meeting point for all those around the world who wish to learn and practise seriously the three great teachings of the definitive meaning : Dzogpatchenpo, Chagyatchenpo and Umatchenpo as well as a place for monks and ngakpas, to study, reflect and meditate.

He has founded in Belgium the publishing house Dharmachakra. This publication house has published amongst other well known titles like: “Method to learn Tibetan”, a book about the life of Matchik Lapdrun, “The Union of Dzogchen and Mahamudra”, “The Wishes of Mahamudra”,” The Lantern that Illustrate the meaning of Mahamudra”, “The Mirror of Bardo”. (All in French)

Recently, he received initiations from Minling Kochen Rinpoche and the Ka Gong Phur Sum from Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche. He is also working with Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen on a major translation and publication project.

Tulku Tashi Eubar

Tulku Tashi Eubar was born in 2001; he has been recognized to be the reincarnation of Dungso Repa by Nyidrak Gyalsé Rinpoche.Dungso Repa was a Tertön, his last reincarnation, before this one, he was also a Tertön known as Drodul Trinle Wangchuk.

At the age of 5, he began his studies after having received the robes. He took the Vow of Genyen with Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche at the age of 8. The same year, he was accepted at the Mindrolling Monastery where he has been entrusted to Lama Gyurtchö, the Minling Dordzin, who will look after his education.